Travessia Nacional Bikepacking by HSW (2027)

TRAVESSIA NACIONAL BIKEPACKING is the new off-road gravel route and adventurous approach of the Heading SouthWest (HSW) event. It is an unsupported bikepacking adventure across Portugal in a single stage.

It’s a journey in search of the lost essence of cycling, crossing the country from NorthEast to SouthWest. The adventure starts in BRAGANÇA, Portugal’s north-easternmost city, and ends at SAGRES — on the edge of Europe.

Travessia Nacional explores the diversity of Portugal’s landscapes and cultural heritage, crossing the country from the mountains of North and Central Portugal to the plains, hills and Atlantic landscapes of the Alentejo and Algarve.

This journey echoes the work of Portuguese geographer Orlando Ribeiro, whose pioneering studies in the mid-20th century explored the profound relationship between territory, climate, landscape and society in mainland Portugal. In his seminal work ‘Portugal, o Mediterrâneo e o Atlântico’ (Portugal, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic), Ribeiro described the country through the interplay of two major geographical influences: the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.